Nigeria’s victorious Flamingos arrived in Abuja on Monday morning, November 9, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The team defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final to claim their maiden title, with Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku scoring the goals that secured Nigeria’s win.
The triumph also made the Flamingos the first African team to win the global age-grade competition.
Their success followed an impressive run at the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d’Ivoire, where they won all five matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding just once.
Head coach Hakeem Busari praised his players for their determination and tactical discipline, describing their achievement as evidence of the progress of women’s youth football in Africa.
Speaking after the final, Busari said the performances of African teams at the tournament demonstrated improvements in quality, character and competitiveness despite facing strong opposition.
“What we are seeing now is not a fluke. It is about development, it is about character, and it is about fighting from the beginning to really get it right. So we are elated and happy,” he said.
Busari also revealed that his technical team had identified Japan’s ability to win second balls and exploit spaces behind defensive lines as major threats before the final.
He explained that the Flamingos adjusted their approach by directing long passes into open spaces to prevent Japan from easily regaining possession.
The coach added that his team initially targeted an early goal but became more cautious after taking the lead. Japan subsequently equalised from a set-piece situation, turning the encounter into a tactical battle that demanded collective defending and discipline.
Naija News reports that President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Flamingos on their historic achievement, describing the win as a moment of national pride and a significant milestone for African women’s football.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said he received the news after returning from campaign engagements in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.
Tinubu said the win would inspire millions of young Nigerian girls by showing them what they could achieve through hard work, opportunity and determination.
